Humanoid robots are taking the safety fences down
Agility's Digit 5 is designed to work alongside people without barriers, and it already has more than $300M in orders.
Most industrial robots work in cages. On September 15, Agility Robotics unveiled Digit 5, a humanoid designed to work in shared spaces next to people, and that changes where robots can be used.
What happened
Digit 5 senses people all around it and slows, steers around them or stops automatically. It can lift about 23 kg, reach higher than its predecessor, and recharge in minutes for well over an hour of work. The company reports more than $300 million in multi-year orders across manufacturing, warehousing and logistics. Early access starts in the first half of 2027, and certification for the EU and UK is planned.
Why it matters
The expensive part of automation is often redesigning the site: fences, separate zones, new layouts. Robots that can safely share space with people could make automation work in brownfield plants and warehouses that were never built for it.
What it means for your business
Operations leaders should start mapping which repetitive, physically demanding tasks in existing sites could become the first pilots. Plan for 2027 deployments now, including safety cases, labour relations and ROI baselines.
Sources: The Robot Report (Sep 15), Agility Robotics press release, Robotics & Automation News (Sep 17)